Apple removed a Night mode photo feature from the iPhone 17 Pro
TL;DR
Apple has removed the Night mode feature from Portrait mode on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, limiting low-light photography options. The feature remains available in other camera modes, but its absence in Portrait mode is seen as a downgrade for users.
iPhone 17 Pro users have fewer ways to take photographs in low-light conditions compared to those using older iPhone models. Specifically, the option to select Night mode when taking snaps in Portrait mode — which gives the camera app an artsy depth-of-field effect — isn’t supported on iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max devices, per a support guide on Apple’s website.
The support page, seen via 9to5Mac, includes a list of models that are compatible with various Night mode features. While Night mode is still available for the standard Photo mode, selfies, and time-lapse videos on iPhone 17 Pro devices, the model isn’t included in the compatibility list for Portrait mode. Here’s the full list of compatible models:
- iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro users on Reddit reported that the feature wasn’t there last month. My colleague Tom Warren also says that Night Mode is missing from the Portrait mode on his own iPhone 17 Pro — something he thought “was a bug.” Apple hasn’t explained why it removed the feature on its latest Pro models, or if it will be added in the future.
We have reached out to Apple for comment.
iPhone 17 Pro users can still take Night mode photos and videos across other camera modes. Portrait mode users who enjoy the sharper subject focus and blurring background effects will be missing out, however, making low-light photography feel like a downgraded experience on Apple’s current flagship phone.